OUR STORY

The Huff Project took life in 2018, just a few months after Stephen Huff's diagnosis of inoperable, stage four lung cancer. At the mere age of twenty-nine, Huff was a former professional baseball player in the Chicago White Sox organization that never smoked. Since his diagnosis, Stephen and his wife Emily started the nonprofit to not only erase the negative stigma that's affiliated with lung cancer but also to raise money for much-needed research─Research that will hopefully support others in the future.

FOUNDERS STEPHEN & EMILY HUFF

EARLY SUCCESS

The Huff Project's mission statement is to fund lung cancer projects that ultimately lead to increased survival. In 2018, The Huff Project raised nearly $85,000 for lung cancer. Between three inaugural fundraising initiatives, their team operated and administered a highly successful Songwriter Night, 'Chip-in' to Beat Lung Cancer Golf Scramble, and is attempting to govern the production for the first ever lung cancer awareness specialty license plate, in their home state of Tennessee.

TENNESSEE LUNG CANCER LICENSE PLATE

FIRST CONTRIBUTION

In January 2019, The Huff Project gifted Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center a check for $25,000 that will fund an investigation lead by Stephen Deppen, Ph.D., and Eric Grogan, MD, MPH. It will verify, through two blood tests, whether a suspicious nodule will require a biopsy─A huge step towards improving diagnostics, and preventing unnecessary or harmful tests.

BETSY ACKER, SANDY SHWAB, MATT HUFF, STEPHEN DEPPEN Ph.D, STEPHEN HUFF, EMILY HUFF

2022 update

Since its inception in 2018, The Huff Project has raised over $300,000 for lung cancer research. Funding investigative leads for early detection diagnostics, vaccines, a lung cancer educational tool, and other various lung cancer-related initiatives. Several of The Huff Project's seed grants have since evolved into clinical trials.

STEPHEN AND EMILY HUFF

MEET THE board

The Huff Project is fortunate to have board members who are passionate about making a difference in the lives of those affected by lung cancer—Each brings a unique skill set, motivation, and experience to benefit our mission.